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Hearst Castle Art Collection

Hearst’s private collection of art can be seen throughout the castle’s breathtaking interior and grounds.

La Cuesta Encantada wasn’t just William Randolph Hearst’s beloved hilltop retreat. It was also a living museum that showcased his superb European and Mediterranean Hearst Castle art collection, which can still be seen today occupying almost every inch of this historic California castle. Browse through selected works below, before visiting the Castle to see the museum-worthy works for yourself:

The Three Graces

This white marble statue is a copy of a famous neoclassical sculpture by the Italian artist Antonio Canova (1757-1822). Canova created two versions of The Three Graces in the early 1800s. The original statue was sculpted for Empress Josephine and it is now part of the collection at The State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. The second version was commissioned by the sixth Duke of Bedford, John Russell, and it was originally installed at the […]

Neptune

Many of the paintings collected by William Randolph Hearst feature religious or mythological scenes. This one was painted in the 17th Century by French artist Simon Vouet, and depicts the sea god, Neptune. It is installed as a ceiling painting in one of Casa Grande’s south duplexes.

Two Sekhmet Figures and Two Sekhmet Heads

These four pieces of art date from the New Kingdom. Sekhmet literally translates as “the powerful.” Depicted with the body of a woman and the head of a lioness, she was the bloodthirsty protector of Ra, the sun god. Egyptian. Head on the left, 18th Dynasty; three others, 19th Dynasty. Granite Full figure with vein of feldspar, 5’10-1/2 x 20-1/2″ (179.1×52.1cm); 3/4 figure, 45-1/4 x 17-3/4″(114.9×45.1cm); chipped head, 19 x 19″(48.3 x 48.3cm); head with sundisk, […]

Marriage Chest

Spanish, late 15th – early 16th century. The interior side is painted by an unknown artist with a scene of St. Peter meeting Christ on the road to Rome. A front panel opens to reveal drawers decorated with gilded Gothic patterns.

Ceiling in Casa Del Monte

While a number of ceilings on the estate are antique, others were custom-made by craftsmen during William Randolp Hearst’s era. This ceiling in Casa del Monte (House B) guest house is handpainted and decorated with 22 carat gold leaf. It features Classical design elements, but also includes a few local references: the words “San Simeon” and eucalyptes leaves.

Tiffany & Co. “Orchid Vase” Lamp

The base of this silver lamp was created in 1889 by Tiffany & Co. as the “Orchid Vase,” part of the company’s award-winning display at the Paris Universal Exposition. It was purchased by William Randolph Hearst’s mother, Phoebe Hearst, in 1889 and was converted to a lamp in 1891. Covered with realistic enamel orchids, the lamp was first displayed in Mrs. Hearst’s Washington D.C. home. After inheriting the lamp, William Randolph Hearst gave it pride of […]

Mosaic

The Virgin Mary as a Young Girl

This sweet wooden sculpture came from Spain and was likely created sometime around 1630-80 (although the date is debatable.) It was first polychromed in classic estofado, a technique that starts with gold leaf covered by a layer of paint, then designs are etched through the paint to reveal the gold underneath. Although the statue was repainted in the new fashion of flowered white polychrome, the rich gold of the older estofado is still apparent in several […]

Wellhead

There are several wellheads scattered in the Hearst Castle gardens. These are structures that once were placed over a water well. This one is marble and has been fitted as a fountain. Its origin and date are not known. It is Renaissance in style and might be Italian, 16th century. At one time it was in the JP Morgan collection.